The beautiful orange decoration, below, is hanging on my tree in Australia this Christmas. It was a gift. Oven dried and studded with cloves, the maker told me, while they cook they fill your house with the smell of oranges.

And, memories of oranges or clementines from a Sicilian Christmas past linger and, in particular, a handmade wreath of December foliage from a garden at the foot of Mt Etna.

The Madonna and Child, an iconic and tender image so layered with meaning, mystery, beauty and an earthy simplicity does bring to mind a certain sense of Christmas.

And as Christmas nears I would like to share some snapshots taken on past travels in Sicily (and Rome) which capture some of the splendour of  Mother and Child.